Come and Go
by AnnthonyTrann
Summary: Twisted Fate was new to Runeterra and gambling again, but held back by a mysterious figure in a "dream" and proof of her existence in real life. Struggling to adapt to the environment, Twisted Fate sets out to find this person to set his curiosity at rest. Disclaimer: I do not own any League of Legends related material.
1. Chapter 1: A Deception?

_Tick.. Tock.. Tick.. Tock.._

Twisted Fate grunted as he woke up to the ticks of an unfamiliar clock. Covering his face with his hands, he wondered. _How on earth did I even sleep to that unpleasant thing in the first place? Ungh... more importantly, where am I?_

He sat up in an abrupt fashion after realizing he was not clear as to where he was. In an instant, his head spun in a terrible aching pain as it begged for him to lay back down. _Just five more minutes... please..._ he accepted his inner plead and closed his eyes. But just before he slept, he saw the figure... the figure of someone who reminded him of yesterday... and all that happened...

* * *

"Gah!" Twisted Fate shouted as he woke up again, shivering from sweat. He was... at home? Was all of that a dream?... It sure didn't feel like one... A sudden doorbell sent another shiver down Twisted Fate's spine. Who had the right mind to visit... this early in the morning?!

Stumbling along his path, a second doorbell had rung out. Twisted Fate was not prepared, as he tripped along a well-placed book, which sent him crashing onto the floor. "Just-.. a second..." he mumbled.

Getting up, he fixed his attire and opened the door with the brightest face he could make. "Good morning how can I-"

 _Crack!_

Twisted Fate flew back onto the floor, this time, with a bleeding nose. Gasping for air, he heard the intruder slam the door shut. "I've caught you now, thief. If you thought you could cheat all your money, think again."

Ah... the annoying bratty voice must be Brad, the most infamous gambler.

Betting all or nothing, Twisted Fate had outplayed Brad in the lightest fashion by simply applying some card magic, and earning almost a lifetime of fortune, right out of Brad's hands. Of course Brad had come, that was to be expected.

Twisted Fate smiled. Take out the guy here and be a legend. Crime was a lot easier to get away with here than in other places. After all, it was Noxus, the nation where each individual was valued on their strength.

Pulling out cards quickly, Twisted Fate threw them as he flipped around, pulling out more cards from his jacket, sleeves, and pockets. He heard Brad cry in dismay as he started being cut by hundreds of cards.

 _Flick-Flick._

Two more cards silenced Brad as he fell to the floor, forming a growing pool of blood.

Sighing in relief and exhaustion, Twisted Fate slumped to the floor. _What exactly happened yesterday...?_ He would figure out later, he decided, and he slept.

* * *

Twisted Fate let himself blink once more quickly, watching his door. Brad had an entire mob of angry men with him, and they are slowly realizing that their leader was gone, checking around the living quarters for champions such as Twisted Fate. Twisted Fate had been the most suspected one, as plenty have come to check on the expected location Brad would be in.

It was a sad thing. Twisted Fate had to silence every last man that walked through the door and saw what he had done. Only to leave more blood and bodies for him to clean up before the next man arrived.

Now, it isn't as easy anymore.

The last batch of men are staying in a group seeing that their mob was being picked off one by one, and their footsteps were heard in the hallway, echoing as they spoke in a rapid tongue only shared by their group.

The footsteps echoed into a soft stop right outside Twisted Fate's door.

 _Cluck-Cluck_

After two knocks, the area was enshrouded with deadly silence.

Deciding to break the eerie silence, Twisted Fate answered. "Hello? Who is there?"

"Hello Twisted Fate," a voice echoed back. _This voice was... feminine..._ the men speaking in a special tongue just prior were definitely masculine. Who was this?

Twisted Fate thought for a few seconds. What if this was a bait?

Preparing a magically charged card in his left hand, he opened the door with his right.

What came as a surprise was the fact that there was no ambush of angry men... nor was there a woman.

No one was there.


	2. Chapter 2: Encounter

Twisted Fate walked along the dirt paved path, whistling to himself impatiently. He was dying to set his curiosity to rest.

Who exactly was that woman? That figure? Does she even exist? Annoyed at having no answers, Twisted Fate decided he would go to his favorite bar to drink his worries away. Everything felt so irritating, gnawing at his head as if to tease him on his lack of answers.

* * *

Opening the door, Twisted Fate took a deep breath and sighed. He really wasn't getting anywhere, and he had no idea why he decided that drinks would be the best solution.

"Twisted Fate!" greeted the bartender, Gragas.

"The usual... please," Twisted Fate replied, in a monotone voice.

"Of course! Er- what seems to be keeping you down, buddy? You sound like you had your pet run over," Gragas said as he pushed a fresh glass of beer to him. Twisted Fate grabbed his glass and looked at his shaking reflection in the liquid. "I- had a dream... that's all..."

"Ah... and here I thought you lost someone, the usual problem people come here to drink away," Gragas chuckled. "By the way, kid, have you heard about the new magician in town?"

Twisted Fate raised his head. "Er-... magician?" he asked.

"Yes, and I heard she's very good, no one's been able to decipher any of her tricks," Gragas smirked.

 _Wait- it's a "her"?_

"Where?" Twisted Fate demanded. He HAD to know.

"Uh-" Gragas muttered, surprised at the sudden spark of interest. "Sorry kid, can't help ya there, it's only been rumors thus far and..-"

Twisted Fate finished his glass of beer and threw a few coins to the surprised bartender, who was cut off short. Turning to the door, Twisted Fate whistled again. This had to be her. It just had to be.

* * *

Walking along the dirt paved path once more, Twisted Fate took a deep breath. He didn't know where to start. And to add to his annoyance, his head was starting to ache from thinking when he suddenly noticed something awfully strange. The area was silent, not a single soul to be seen.

It was almost too silent... as if... the same eerie silence as when the footsteps stopped outside his door...

Preparing a magically charged card, Twisted Fate shuffled nervously. Walking anymore would do no good, he was trapped in an endless loop set up by none other than a magician, for sure.

"Hello again Twisted Fate," a playful voice whispered suddenly. Twisted Fate shivered as memories came from earlier that morning... the same voice...

Twisted Fate relaxed himself. _I found her,_ he thought as he spun around to see a woman, who was dressed in a revealing outfit, plainly purple. Flowing behind her was a black cape outlined in yellow... and she wore an oddly shaped hat.

 _Magician for sure... very funny._

"Hello there magician. Your name is?"

"My name will come to you in time," she smiled.

Twisted Fate was convinced. This was her.

"Why do you play with me," Twisted Fate scoffed. "You know what you did."

She shrugged innocently, smiling. "I don't know. What did I do?"

"Don't play dumb, you know you were the one who greeted me earlier this morning," Twisted Fate said impatiently.

The woman just stood there and smiled.

It seemed like an eternity before she gave in. "Okay, you got me," she finally said. "My name is Leblanc."

Twisted Fate observed her in detail. "So you're a magician... I hear?"

"Yes... I am... why- would you like to see a magic trick?" she asked.

"Delight me," Twisted Fate replied with a smirk.

* * *

It had been a few hours since they met and parted.

Twisted Fate was excessively tired ever since he came home. His legs felt like lead, and no sooner did he throw himself to his bed and sigh in comfort as the soft mattress massaged itself to fit his body. His head had calmed down from the consistent irritation from earlier as he had found what his curiosity had asked for. Glancing at the clock, Twisted Fate flip a card back and forth in his hand. He couldn't help but have his mind wander to Leblanc again.

 _Leblanc... Leblanc..._ the name rang in his head over and over again as he smiled.

At least now he knew the name of the woman. He can finally rest at ease.

Staring at the ceiling, Twisted Fate let darkness slowly creep into his vision until he dozed off into sleep.

In his mind, Twisted Fate replayed the magic trick from earlier...


	3. Chapter 3: Strange Things

_"Watch this bunny," Leblanc said._

 _Twisted Fate stared at the bunny while keeping an eye as to whether or not Leblanc would do anything out of his line of sight. The bunny was small, covered in a layer of soft white fur. It shifted nervously in Leblanc's hand, unappreciative of the sudden scrutiny of Twisted Fate._

 _Leblanc clicked her fingers with her free hand and then cautiously covered the bunny for a few seconds, then taking her hand away, revealing that the bunny had completely vanished._

 _"Uh-"_

 _"Look behind you," she whispered._

 _Twisted Fate turned in doubt when he suddenly jumped back, seeing Leblanc in a closer proximity with the bunny in her hands._

 _Turning his head to his back, Twisted Fate was speechless. The Leblanc he had seen seconds ago was no longer there, but on the complete opposite side of him. This was real magic._

 _The magician teleported._

 _"Simple misdirection," she said with a smile._

* * *

Twisted Fate stretched as he yawned softly. The memory was still crystal clear in his mind.

"Leblanc..." he whispered her name to no one in particular. It was satisfying, knowing her name. She recently came to Runeterra... so...

 _Where was she now?_

Grunting, Twisted Fate jumped out of bed, knowing that it was none of his business. He had slept for 2 hours, which his body heavily appreciated. Sighing in comfort, he went to take a shower, although in the back of his mind, he was thinking about seeing her again...

* * *

Thinking about the place he was going to gamble for the night, Twisted Fate walked along the block. He took a breath of fresh air as he felt the wind whip past his face. He suddenly stopped when he heard a guy gasp in awe. Looking around a corner, Twisted Fate saw Leblanc, showcasing the same bunny trick to another person.

 _She's like this with everyone?_

Twisted Fate sighed happily, it WAS a decent magic trick, if he ever saw one. Yet, Twisted Fate also felt his chest weighing itself down all of a sudden, as well as a slight jolt of pain. Rubbing his chest, he decided it was nothing more than his imagination.

The guy laughed and applauded Leblanc, taking his leave.

Immediately after, Leblanc spotted Twisted Fate and walked over.

"Hello!" she chirped, waving to him happily. Twisted Fate waved back as she stopped herself right in front of him.

"You mind showing me another magic trick?" he asked with a wide grin.

"Sure thing!" she replied with an equally wide smile.

 _She is energetic, and seems to always have a good mood._

"Can we go to my favorite bar before you perform your trick?" Twisted Fate asked. Gragas would love to see this individual.

She happily agreed, so Twisted Fate led her to the bar.

* * *

"BOTTOMS UP!" the drunk man yelled as everyone had their cheers and drank away at their glasses of fine beer.

"Gragas!" Twisted Fate said, trying to speak above the crowd to get to the attention of the bartender. Leblanc followed shortly after him. There was a bunch of cheering that could be heard across the bar, everyone happily drunk, chugging away at their beer.

Gragas turned around. "Eyheyhey! It's my boy!" he greeted happily. "Twisted Fate! What brings you here at this happy hour? Shouldn't you be gambling?"

"I- I've came to show you the magician," Twisted Fate replied. Gragas suddenly became very quiet as he noticed Leblanc, who was now standing next to Twisted Fate.

"You can show your magic trick," Twisted Fate remarked as he sat back, ready to experience magic again.

He watched the same exact bunny magic trick performed right in front of Gragas. This woman really teleports... but not just that, she makes the bunny teleport first without her, and then proceeds to teleport and catch the bunny before it runs away. This explained her closer proximity when Twisted Fate turned around the first time.

"Ha ha ha! That was nice!" Gragas yelled in amusement. Leblanc bowed and left quickly, uncomfortable in the presence of drunk men.

Twisted Fate turned to follow when he felt his arm being yanked back by Gragas.

"Do you two have something going on?" he whispered in a chuckling voice. "She's quite the thing isn't she?"

"Calm yourself, Gragas, she's like this with everyone, watch," Twisted Fate directed as he pointed out the window where Gragas saw her greeting a stranger politely followed by her performing her magic trick.

"You're right," Gragas replied in disappointment, patting Twisted Fate on the back, signalling that he can go.

Twisted Fate opened the bar door and stepped outside. The trick was finished as the stranger clapped in delight.

Again, Twisted Fate sighed in happiness, but there came pain following shortly after on his chest, this time a little bit stronger.


	4. Chapter 4: Differences

"That's amazing!" the stranger exclaimed as he filled the air with ecstatic clapping.

"Thank you..." Leblanc replied with a smile, and left the man to continue on his walk.

Turning back, she notices Twisted Fate rubbing his chest with a pained expression. Hurrying over to his side, he suddenly looks up and subsequently stops his pained behavior.

"Is there something wrong? Or were you pulling an act?" Leblanc asked teasing, but looking at him with slight evidence of concern.

* * *

"Is there something wrong" she asked in a slightly concerned tone.

Twisted Fate hesitated. "No" he replied flatly.

A few seconds of silence followed while Leblanc looked into his eyes, as if she was trying to pry at his mind to find the secrets laying within. The long period of awkward scrutiny irritated Twisted Fate.

"What?" he asked breaking the silence.

"Nothing" she replied. She still held her gaze.

 _She still held her gaze._

Twisted Fate shuffled uncomfortably as he stared back at Leblanc. This was the first time he was able to look at Leblanc's face in detail, observing slight black marks travel down from her eyes and..-

"What?" she asked.

Twisted Fate smiled. "Nothing" he replied, "can we move on now from this staring contest?" he asked with a mocking smile.

Leblanc shrugged. "I have work to do. I'll see you later," she said suddenly as she hurried off.

Twisted Fate was confused and shocked as he watched Leblanc hurry off, but only to see her vanish completely in thin smoke. _Magicians..._ he thought with an odd feeling of both awe and uncertainty. However, he had no time to dwell, it was night time here at Noxus, when thieves and cutthroats took the spotlight, and so, it was dangerous to wander. Twisted Fate hurried off to find the nearest place he could gamble for the night...

* * *

It wasn't long before Twisted Fate was exhausted in his bed yet again. He yawned as he stared at the ceiling, deep in thought. He wanted to see Leblanc again, although he couldn't put his hands on as to why. He had never cared much for women before, seeing them as beings that aren't worth the effort. Twisted Fate traveled often, thus never having the same acquaintances, chased by the authorities as well as people who have lost their fortune to him.

He had charmed his way through his life with the addition of cheating. Nothing was ever taken for granted. Since a child, he was born to a nomadic group of people, whom he had never understood. People had despised his group's way of life, and often came for revenge when they had lost their fortunes in the tents that were of the boy's family and group. When he fought back and won, successfully protecting his family and his group, he was only looked upon with horror, shunned by his own people. He was only abandoned after, left to survive on his own as his people sailed away.

Betrayal had stung like salt on a wound.

He had to cheat his way through gambling for coins to survive. Although arrested plenty of times, he had escaped the next morning, leaving a mocking card to prove that he was even arrested from the start. His life had played along thin lines and even thinner when Twisted Fate let his greed to control magic find himself applied for an experiment that would satisfy his greed. Dr. Xavier Rath had warned of critical consequences, but when finished with his experiment, gave Twisted Fate the ability to teleport.

Since then, it had been a lot easier for Twisted Fate to be slippery, but never had he witnessed someone that was quicker and better than he was at what he did.

Not until he met Leblanc.

 _Maybe that's why she's been on his mind?_

 _She's better?_

 _Not exactly better... but in a different style that was easier to execute. Real magic._

Twisted Fate shook the thoughts out of his head. Any later he slept, he decided, and he'd have no attention the next day.

Once more Twisted Fate dozed off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5: The Sudden Reality

Twisted Fate blinked as he silently stared at the ceiling, biting his lower lip, which has become a frequent habit for whenever he was thinking. He needed a break from Leblanc, she had been invading his thoughts since they met, and Twisted Fate had a feeling that it would only get worse if he were to interact with her anymore.

Sighing as he got out of his bed, he stretched and yawned one final time before hearing a doorbell. "Please don't be another Brad..." he mumbled as he dressed himself and hurried toward the door.

 _Cluk cluk cluk_

The sound stopped at three sharp knocks, the visitor becoming clearly impatient.

This time avoiding tripping on any obstacles in the way though, as he remembered the first encounter, where he tripped on a well-placed book, no less. Twisted Fate opened the door to feel a gentle breeze flow into his house, but there was a problem...

Standing at the doorway was a meaty man, clearly irritated.

"Gragas... Hello..." Twisted Fate said uneasily as he gestured the man to come inside, confused at the sudden appearance of the bartender.

The fat man sighed as he slumped into a chair, signalling Twisted Fate to join him. "We have a lot to talk about..." he said in his rough voice.

* * *

Leblanc listened from outside, though not completely sure what they were talking about, she could make out a few words and mumbles. The majority of the conversation was inaudible, as Leblanc strained her ears to hear what she can.

And just like that, the conversation finished.

Leblanc waited for Gragas to leave, then strategically slipped in shortly after.

She had a meeting appointed with her fellow magicians to discuss matters of taking over the current Noxus government, but she needed to finish her current task, which was to figure out what was going on.

She found Twisted Fate groaning in annoyance, with his arm covering his eyes. In return, she cleared her throat softly, to send the message.

Twisted Fate immediately jumped, unsuspecting of another visitor.

"Le-Leblanc?!" he stammered.

"T-Twisted Fate?!" she questioned back, mimicking the reaction with sarcasm. "What were you guys talking about?"

"Why are you here? And why were you eavesdropping?" Twisted Fate asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't hear what you guys were saying, that's why I'm asking," she said with a slight tone of annoyance. "As for why I'm here, I can ask you the same question" she replied. "Do you know what time it is?"

"He was just... informing me what it meant to be in the League and the responsibilities I needed to hold," Twisted Fate summarized as he glanced at the clock. It was well into the afternoon? How did time pass by so quickly?

"Uh... speaking of which... why don't we fight like what the League of Legends is supposed to be about?" Twisted Fate managed, as he was finding it hard to focus. "And why exactly are you here again?"

"The servers have been down for a while, which means our world gets to do what it wants, and I'm here because I'm waiting for you," Leblanc said, with a fake tone of annoyance.

Twisted Fate laughed. "I'm sorry, but waiting for me to do what?"

"To come outside, there was something I wanted to show you."

* * *

Twisted Fate groaned as he got up and headed toward the door, following Leblanc's footsteps. He was awfully tired, and his legs felt like they were dragging behind.

"Why are you so slow?" Leblanc asked. _There was no reason for this guy to be walking this slow_.

"Just go ahead, I'm right behind you," Twisted Fate replied, trying to digress her attention from his speed.

Leblanc sighed in frustration and walked back to Twisted Fate, she had a meeting to be to soon, and she can't wait forever for him to catch up.

Grabbing his hand, she pulled him forward.

* * *

He watched Leblanc turn around and head toward him, sighing, most likely from annoyance because he was too slow, but when he felt her hand grab his, he felt a slight jolt on his chest.

Now he understood why he felt a jolt of pain during earlier moments.

His heart was skipping beats.

He was feeling something.


	6. Chapter 6: Downfall

Twisted Fate threw a card at a wall for practice. It had been months. Months.

He had adapted to her being there everyday, watching time slip by as he enjoyed her company.

* * *

 _"Leblanc..." he whispered. Leblanc glanced back at him, confused at his call._

 _"What if... there was a slight possibility that I had developed feelings for you... how would you react...?"_

 _Leblanc twitched at this sudden remark. "I- uh... I have too many things I have to worry about at the moment... it's...," she pauses, "I don't have anything against you, let me make that clear. It's just that I... I can't accept them... your feelings... I'm sorry."_

 _Twisted Fate plastered the best smile he could manage on his face when in reality, disappointment sunk deep into his skin. "Oh it's fine I was just theoretically speaking... I was just... curious on how you would react."_

 _And just like that..._

* * *

It didnt hurt... well it did... but not to the degree that would've concerned him at all. He wasn't even sure of what he was feeling, but he knew he was surely feeling something. And he definitely understood why, Leblanc being a magician part of the black rose, would only be expected to set priority on succeeding in reinstituting magicians into the Noxian government, and thus, time spent with Leblanc would be inconsistent, and distracting.

However, that doesn't cancel out that she's already a friend, and will remain one...

Twisted Fate stared into the wall in which he had thrown the card at. He had angled his card to fly parrallel to the wall, so no denting was done. In effect, this was only practice for his angle of throw and accuracy.

Twisted Fate closed his eyes in annoyance and breathed slowly. His mind recalled one event.

* * *

 _... "Why, look at that. If it wasn't mister thief," Graves chuckled, settling down his shotgun and lighting a cigarette._

 _"Graves... What are you doing here..." Twisted Fate sighed in annoyance, recognizing his former partner in crime. "And I've heard that you switched to vaping."_

 _"Rumors..." Graves chuckled. "Anyway, it's a bit of a drag, but I'm currently on a mission to stop one of the pirate ships full of gold that's headed to Gangplank... I know we both got in a sticky situation the last time we were in his property... but I really need the assistance. Can you pitch in?"_

 _"And where exactly is this ship?" Twisted Fate asked._

 _"Off the shore. It's getting awfully close to Bilgewater, you'll have to be there for a long time."_

 _"I- I'll think about it.." Twisted Fate replied._

 _"Great! When will I hear from you?" Graves asked._

 _"When I decide that... there is nothing else left here for me..." Twisted Fate managed._

* * *

Bilgewater was on a completely seperate island from Runeterra. Blue Flame Island, it was called, seperated by three distinct land masses. And based off what he had heard, he would be there for a while.

Twisted Fate hummed in thought. Although he can teleport, it's no where near the distance he needs to be in order to be able to travel very quickly between Noxus and Bligewater, and on top of a distance barrier, it also places a detrimental amount of physical stress on him, which is why he can't consistently teleport to wherever he desires.

And what about Leblanc? He might never see her again. Magicians are inconsistent with their location, and Leblanc might not be in Noxus anymore when he came back.

He flipped a card between his fingers.

 _Why does everything have to turn bad the moment things start looking good?_

It was untolerable.

Leblanc was the closest thing he ever had to a friend. But there are things that he needs to sort out. Graves essentially promised a portion of a huge fortune if he helps out in capturing the ship, and Graves has been his partner in crime for the longest time.

 _Graves is a friend as well as an ally..._ Twisted Fate thought. And the deal looked more promising following the path that would lead him to Bilgewater rather than staying here in Noxus... But for some reason, even if his mind objectively chose the path to go to Bilgewater, his heart clung onto the fantasy of staying in Noxus to remain with Leblanc, but his heart also knew the sickening side of that choice. Leblanc's presence is not something that he can take for granted, she was a busy woman, and had things to do, more of importance than he'd ever be.

And that was that.

 _Give it one more day... maybe things will change..._ Twisted Fate thought as he dozed off to sleep, knowing that what he hopes for is a fool's dream.


End file.
